In brief:
- We are a team of three with a passion for successful projects
- We bring many years of experience in project management in various industrial and administrative environments (High-Tech, R&D, IT, social and more)
- Based in the UK and Germany, on the German market since 2013
- Thousands of monthly readers and numerous happy customers
… and last but not least: We want to get things done efficiently. We believe in practical real-life solutions. Project management done right should help you to increase your success rate while reducing your effort.
Ricarda Baldock
Project Manager and Consultant
Alexander Blumenau
Portfolio Manager
Andrea Windolph
Project Management Trainer and Coach
Who am I?
I am Ricarda, freelance project manager and consultant.
I am very much a hands-on project manager who enjoys mucking in together with my teams.
At Projects made easy I enjoy giving you an easy-to-understand way through the project jungle.
What is my professional background?
Having worked across a number of industries and countries, I am now specialising in project management in the SME and charity sector. I am based in the UK where I work as a freelance project manager.
How do I work?
Take it in. Work it out. Make a plan. I enjoy getting to grips with the whole width and depth of a project, making sense out of all that info and from there developing a strong plan for a solid delivery.
How do I usually perceive projects in companies and other organisations?
My pet-hate for projects is people’s hidden agendas. Intelligent stakeholder-management is utterly crucial!
And how should project management be like?
This may sound odd: it should be fun! There should (and can) be a sense of genuine excitement, a good team spirit and a great result both for the team and the organisation.
Why Projects made easy?
Because projects just don’t need to be difficult! Learning a few basic structures and processes allows you to run a project successfully and with joy. Being a little bold at times, and using the available tools to help, projects really can be made easy!
Do I have a life outside project management?
Yes! I am married and have two busy daughters. When these three don’t keep me busy, I love baking and interior design. To burn those cake-calories, we all love the great outdoors and go hiking and kayaking.
Who am I?
I am Alex, free author, portfolio and project manager.
I am rather into the real world of project management out there. Reality in companies and large organisations is often far different from idealised theories, formed by a blend of individual struggle for power, corporate politics, hidden agendas and too thinly stretched resources.
What is my professional background?
Having worked as an R&D manager in the Materials industry and Semiconductor supplying industry for many years, I know the everyday struggle of portfolio and project managers all too well.
From my early days in industry I can remember what it means to be an engineer, or in my case a physicist, with at that time little experience in project management. All of sudden you are thrown into a large strategic project and need to learn to swim. You need to learn fast, or you will drown yourself or your project.
How do I work?
To be honest, deep within I am what some people call a creative anarchist. However, experience quickly taught me I need to tame this inner self of mine to be more efficient. Today I enjoy to form processes and follow them in a pragmatic way.
How do I usually perceive projects in companies and other organisations?
Often way too political, too much dirty fighting for power and often driven by incompatible goals or even personal gain. Such explosive mixtures have the potential to sabotage a project or even a whole company.
And how should project management be like?
Realistic, adapted to the organisation’s structure and to the type of project. A real estate project is not a restructuring project is not a development project is not a roll-out of products. And last but not least the project manager should never forget about the human factor.
Why Projects made easy?
In very different companies and organisations, no matter which country – everywhere I have seen similar patterns. Often there are structural problems, or projects fail due to a lack of competence in methods and organisation, or they are simply managed too loosely or are over-managed.
Do I have a life outside project management?
I am a photography enthusiast and enjoy wilderness hiking and the outdoors. In winter as much as in the summer.
Who am I?
I am Andrea, free author, coach and trainer for project management, freelance project manager and organiser of project workshops – all both virtual in the online world and also on-site in the offline world.
At Projects made easy I am further responsible for the development of e-learning concepts and online courses for project managers.
It is my passion to analyse complicated situations and data and present them in a structured and easy-to-understand way.
What is my professional background?
I like it versatile! Coming from a background in both Finance and IT/Software Development, I have been working in Switzerland and Germany for many years, gathering further experience in project management in e-commerce, in industrial environments and in consulting.
How do I work?
Organised. Structured. Fast. Versatile.
How do I usually perceive projects in companies and other organisations?
To be honest, the words chaotic, unstructured, without specific goals, often describe it best.
Come on, get your homework done!
And how should project management be like?
Reasonable and pragmatic, by applying the right tools for the job. Formalism and theory will help, but what really counts is to get things done efficiently. Do not let self-chosen bureaucracy kill your success.
Why Projects made easy?
Because project management is neither dull nor dry as dust nor extremely complicated. At the end of the day, knowing the basics and knowing how to apply the right tools and methods will make your life as a project manager much easier. I am dedicated to applicable and practical knowledge.
Do I have a life outside project management?
Of course. I like the outdoors, running, hiking, photography. And I love to prepare tasty and healthy meals to refuel body and soul.
You would like to know more about each of us? Have a closer look: